Thomas Emmrich
Encyclopedia
Thomas Emmrich is a former tennis
player for East Germany.
Martina Navratilova claimed that he could have become a top-ten player in the 1970s.
After the German reunification
in 1990, Emmrich proved that he could compete on a high international level as he won several titles, i.e. runners-up in the European Championships of the 35+ Seniors (1996), runners-up in the Doubles World Championships in 2003 (50+), European Champion (50+) in 2006. In addition, he gained many national titles after 1990 in senior competitions.
His daughter Manuela Emmrich also picked up the tennis sport and played college tennis in the US. She won the National Championship in 2005. His son, Martin Emmrich, is a professional tennis player and is successful on the doubles pro circuit.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player for East Germany.
Life and career
Between 1970 and 1988, Emmrich won 47 German Democratic Republic (GDR) titles (16 singles and 31 in the doubles and mixed). Unfortunately, he entered the tennis scene after the GDR had decided to promote only those sports which were relevant for the Olympics’ medals table. Thus, he was barred from international competitions outside the Eastern bloc countries and had to keep the status as an amateur. However, he gained some points at an ATP tournament in Sofia as GDR functionaries had not noticed that it had become part of the ATP tour. After this tournament, the ATP ranked him number 482—the only entry of a GDR tennis player in the ATP rankings.Martina Navratilova claimed that he could have become a top-ten player in the 1970s.
After the German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, Emmrich proved that he could compete on a high international level as he won several titles, i.e. runners-up in the European Championships of the 35+ Seniors (1996), runners-up in the Doubles World Championships in 2003 (50+), European Champion (50+) in 2006. In addition, he gained many national titles after 1990 in senior competitions.
His daughter Manuela Emmrich also picked up the tennis sport and played college tennis in the US. She won the National Championship in 2005. His son, Martin Emmrich, is a professional tennis player and is successful on the doubles pro circuit.